~ Reflections from the Light

Author Archives: chazebert

LAST NIGHT’S HISTORIC DEBATE CONFIRMED THAT HILLARY CLINTON IS ONE OF THE MOST QUALIFIED PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. Lawyer, Mother, First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the United States, First Female U.S. Senator from New York, Secretary of State: her qualifications for the job are formidable and unprecedented. She has seen the Oval Office from a vantage point that gives her primary executive experience. Her service in the legislative branch was hailed as exemplary because she reached across the aisle for bi-partisan solutions for the good of the country. Her depth of knowledge about policy, international and domestic affairs is second to none. As Secretary of State, she established contact with rulers in 112 countries, setting an example for diplomacy. Regardless of one’s views about her, what she has achieved during this election season has been utterly historic. She has become the first woman to be nominated for President by a major political party in the United States and set the bar for future presidential aspirations. (And she did it even though her own mother was born before women had the right to vote.) Don’t take your eye off the ball with all the noisy distractions, she is the only candidate who has served the people in various capacities her entire life. And she has done it capably and of her own volition.

Running for president is not a mere hobby for her. As she said last night, not only was she preparing for the debate, but she was preparing to be president. It seems as if her whole life was leading to this historic juncture. As a young girl raised in a politically conservative household in Park Ridge, Illinois, her mother’s interest in social justice issues left an indelible mark on her. Those who knew her in the early years said she was the one who volunteered at Sunday School, who exhibited compassion for others, and whose leadership skills, even at that young age, were put toward the good of the community and not just for herself. When she wrote to NASA at age 14, asking what she had to do to become an astronaut, she was informed that women were not allowed to be in the program. But that didn’t deter her. She had confidence in her abilities and put those efforts to work in other ways. In fact, she has a history of working for the betterment of society rather than for her own self-aggrandizement.

That is the hope Hillary Rodham Clinton’s legacy has embodied ever since she was enrolled as a political science major at Wellesley College where she organized programs to help children and families. And she is no Johnny-come-lately to issues of race and fairness. Though she served as president of the Wellesley Young Republicans during her freshman year, her political views were altered by the Vietnam War and civil rights movements that characterized the 60’s. By the time she was a junior, she was serving as president of the Wellesley College Government Association, and organized a two-day student strike following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It was around this time that some of her fellow students began to voice their beliefs that she could one day be elected President of the United States. And amazingly, in 1969, she was selected as the college’s first-ever student to give a commencement speech. The president of the college described her as “cheerful, good humored, and good company.” A portion of the speech is embedded below. Hillary spoke of communal trust and respect and said that she wanted to undertake the “art of making what appeared to be impossible, possible.” “Fear is always with us,” she continued, “but we don’t have time for it.”

Every role Hillary took on, from being a colleague of Marian Edelman at the Children’s Defense Fund to the present, has prepared her for a life of leadership in Washington, D.C. When she became the First Lady of our nation, no one mistook her for someone occupying an ornamental role. In fact, they were often impressed by her intelligence and the ease with which she could understand the issues and articulate solutions. Whether it was her role of attempting to reform the health care system or discussing the economy, her performance was so virtuoso that it caused legislators and journalists to wonder if they were watching the emergence of a president-in-training.

And Secretary Clinton is not only smart, she is tough. She has the temperament, the stamina, and the emotional intelligence to withstand years of personal and political attacks on her, and still comes back ready to focus on the issues at hand. She has not crumbled, and God knows we would have understood if she had. But she has her goals firmly in place. And yet, there are still many Americans who balk at the notion of having a woman elected to our highest office. One only has to look at last night’s presidential debate for sufficient proof of who would be the better candidate to be in control of the proverbial red button. Secretary Clinton calmly but firmly debated issues with real knowledge and facts, remaining cool and collected. She laughed off nonsensical attacks with the confidence and civility of a true leader. Even as she was interrupted a staggering number of times, she came out the clear winner by embodying a stark contrast to her opponent. And she did it with a hint of a shimmy thrown in for good effect.

And I think I know why some people seek to demean her image. That is because she has the countenance of the adult-in-the-room. She is the one who knows the answers, who probably raised her hands in class before anyone else. Not because she wanted to show off, but because she was prepared. All I can say is I met with her on many occasions some time ago when I was working with the Women’s Leadership Forum, and I found her to be warm and caring with a great sense of humor. On television she may not have the charisma of President Obama or her husband Bill, or the showmanship of Donald Trump, but there is no one who could accuse her of not being prepared or not caring for people. And the example she would set for girls and women AND boys and men all across the globe, should not be minimized, just as the election of our first African-American president represented a sea change. It is not insignificant that she will be the first President to wear heels and red lipstick, and who has given birth to another human being.

I make no secret of the fact that I am voting for Hillary in the upcoming election. Based on her lifelong adherence to her concern for others, her rootedness in her faith, and her intelligence and political savvy to reach across the aisle to get things done, her understanding of climate change and the fact that we have seen her tax returns and know there is transparency, I trust her. She understands the meticulousness of our governmental systems better than many of her male colleagues. I have no doubt that once she attends to her tasks as President of the United States, she will actually be able to get things done. Not as a schoolyard bully, but as a seasoned politician who won’t let any obstacle get in the way of her fighting for the American people.

In a moving letter written to Secretary Clinton earlier this year, an Illinois mother, Heather Henderson said, “My hope is that my daughter will not have to dream of being the first anything, because that road will have already been paved by strong women like you.”

IN THESE RECENT DAYS OF UNREST in our nation, I am so happy to see the board of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation join together to award our highest award, the Lincoln Leadership Prize, to the courageous individuals known as The Little Rock Nine. On September 25th, 1957, nine schoolchildren faced jeering crowds and National Guard units as they entered Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, while accompanied by a federal troop escort, courtesy of the 101st Airborne Division. Their attendance at the school was a historic triumph of the civil rights movement, ending racial segregation in public schools three years after it was deemed unconstitutional by the Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court decision. Now, on Monday, May 18th, these remarkable individuals will become the first group ever to be awarded the Lincoln Leadership Prize at a gala to be held in Chicago at the Hilton Chicago. Previously, the Lincoln Leadership Prize has been awarded only to individuals. I hope that all of Chicago comes out to celebrate this historic occasion. It is an event that brings us together in brotherhood and unity for the human rights we all cherish.

THE EVENT IS BEING HELD during a week that marks the 61st anniversary of the Brown v Board of Education ruling. 2015 also happens to be the 150th anniversary of the 13th Amendment’s passage during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, which abolished slavery in the United States and was ratified eight months after the president’s death. Members of the Little Rock Nine scheduled to be attendance include Carlotta Walls LaNier, Melba Pattillo Beals, Ph.D., Elizabeth Eckford, Ernest G. Green, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Minnijean Brown Trickey, Terence J. Roberts, Ph.D. and Thelma Mothershed Wair. The late Jefferson Thomas will be represented at the dinner by a family member.

“EQUAL ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION was a cornerstone of the civil rights movement,” said LaNier, president of the Little Rock Nine Foundation. “Thinking back, it’s hard to believe there was a time when high school students had to be escorted by military guards just to attend class with their peers. But it’s more important now than ever that we remember, and learn from, our nation’s history.”

ICONIC NEWS ANCHOR BILL KURTIS will be the Master of Ceremonies and Golden Globe-winner Regina Taylor, the acclaimed actress/director/playwright (“I’ll Fly Away,” “Crowns”) will present the award to the Little Rock Nine.

“WE ARE SO PLEASED TO AWARD this year’s prize to members of the Little Rock Nine for standing up for justice in the face of inequality, and for all of the work they’ve done to move our country forward since that day,” said Dr. Carla Knorowski, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation. “As we celebrate their accomplishments, we are both grateful for the progress the civil rights movement has made over the past 150 years and are reminded of the significant work left to be done.”

THE LINCOLN LEADERSHIP PRIZE DINNER serves as a fundraiser for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. To purchase tickets or secure a table, please visit the Foundation’s official site or call its office at (217) 557-6251. The dinner and program begin at 7pm, with a reception at 6pm at the Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue.

Philosophy was one of my favorite subjects in college, and if I had to summarize in one sentence what I took away it’s that Man in the state of nature is basically good. Sure I know that plenty of philosophers argue otherwise, but this is what I choose to believe to this day, and it is what I expect of those leading our nation. It is a “goodness” tempered with compassion as we give up some of our individual goals for the good of society. It is not a simplistic belief, it underscores the very contract we make when we gather under a set of laws for society, commerce, protection and procreation. It gives us strength in community and provides a safety net to those who can least afford to take care of themselves.

I mention this as a prelude to the physical pain I felt when Governor Mitt Romney wrote off 47% of the American populace as slaggards who paid no taxes, took no responsibility for their own actions, and who were undeserving of his attention or care. That really hurt, I didn’t expect that of him. Up until the moment I saw him with my own eyes and heard him with my own ears I thought Romney was simply playing an ugly game of politics that seems to be more necessary these days to win an elected office with the inflated fundraising budgets allowed by the Supreme Court’s rulings.

If you had asked my opinion of Romney before the 47% remark, I would have said he was a politician who was probably decent at heart, though not sure enough of his own convictions to stick to them; nevertheless a man who cared deeply for his family and his religion, and who has probably done good deeds with his wealth. Like everyone else I smiled at gaffes that showed him to be out of touch with the average person (betting Rick Santorum $10,000, which he obviously thought was chump change—when was the first or last time you were challenged to a $10,000 bet?). But I wouldn’t have been afraid of what he would do if he were elected president.

All of that changed with the 47% speech. I had to ask myself what exactly does Romney believe in and how would he govern? I don’t know. He seems to change his mind with the polls. I don’t mind having a president who doesn’t agree with me on every issue as long as I know he or she has decent convictions that they think are worth fighting for. And as long as I know that when the chips are down he or she would be looking out for the best interests of the country as a whole and would also have compassion for the least among us.

Hurricane Sandy brought those issues right to the forefront. Romney has alluded to abolishing FEMA, the agency charged with remedial action during emergency disasters. This is one of those events for which we have banded together, and the President took decisive and compassionate action during this time of tragedy. I fear that Governor Romney would have expected 47% of us to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps of our own waders. Kudos to Governor Christie who put politics aside in favor of taking care of the people of New Jersey and who had the courage to compliment Obama’s compassion even though he was not his presidential choice.

I firmly believe that the President’s compassion for this nation is real. When he worked for community organizations in Chicago he was doing so for populations of people who were without power and money and prestige. He did it because that is what was in his heart and those were his core beliefs.

But President Obama has more than compassion, he has a competency that snatched this nation from the abyss of economic collapse four years ago; he kept his promises on troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan and expanded the GI bill; brought Osama Bin Laden to justice and weakened Al-Qaeda. He brought in a health care law that presidents had been trying to pass for years and years; decreed that people can marry no matter who they love; rescued the auto industry; expanded college loans to students and instituted Race To The Top to improve our educational system.

He put into place financial reforms that will hopefully protect the country from wildly speculative derivatives and the bundling of toxic financial instruments; formed a Consumer Protection Agency; and recovered money to be used to help keep people in their homes in the case of unfair foreclosures. At this juncture the economic picture seems to be improving in our nation and I want to give President Obama time to make more progress. The strengthening of the American middle class and economy bode well for Americans and the rest of the world.

This is an introductory post containing excerpts from Women In Film/Kerry Reid’s interview of me when I won the Women In Film Focus Award. It was first published in Reel Chicago.

REEL: What is the first film you remember seeing with Roger?

EBERT: I think it was a Bunuel film, Un Chien Andalou. We loved watching Bunuel together .

REEL: What movies do you consider indispensable viewing for anyone who truly wants to understand and appreciate the art of cinema, “desert island” films that you feel you can repeatedly watch?

EBERT: Those are two different types of films. “Indispensable for appreciating the art of cinema” may not be the “desert island films,” but some of both films off the top of my head would be: almost any documentary with a conscience, like Food, Inc. Or any film by Stanley Kubrick, but especially A Clockwork Orange or Dr. Strangelove.

If I wanted to cry or emote it would include Terms of Endearment, The Color Purple, Tous Les Matins De Monde, any film by Nicole Holofcener, or any head-over-heels love story.

For pure cinematic wonder, the films of Fellini, John Cassavetes, Jane Campion, Alan Rudolph; the films of Charles Burnett, Spike Lee, Julie Taymor; any film with Isabelle Huppert or by Kasi Lemmons, or the Coen Brothers, Spike Jonze, Pedro Almodovar, or John Sayles.

For fun, action films with Bruce Lee, especially Enter the Dragon. Or Charles Bronson or South Korean revenge films like Old Boy. Or muscular films by Kathryn Bigelow; science fiction films like Dark City; scary films like The Exorcist.

Any film by Lars Von Trier – whether successful or not, they are always visually interesting, even if sometimes immature.

Any film with Alfre Woodard, Laura Linney, Denzel Washington, or the 1970s and ‘80s Robert De Niro films. Any film with good dancing, even in 3D and well-made British costume dramas.

Okay, I see why Roger doesn’t like to make lists! Where do you start? Where do you stop?

REEL: Are there any films you and Roger disagree about?

EBERT: We disagree about A Clockwork Orange. It’s one of my favorite films and it just leaves him cold. I don’t get his love of Joe Versus the Volcano. We do talk about our differences in opinion, but there are so many films that we agree on that we end up discussing those. We both passionately agree on well-made films where people commit random acts of kindness. In both a concrete and philosophical way, we believe in “goodness.”

REEL: What is the quality that you think most defines excellence in film criticism?

EBERT: Having the curiosity to acquire a broad base of knowledge and life experiences really helps one excel in film criticism. And having the desire to communicate that to your readers or viewers in as accessible a way as possible also helps.